(Picture:From Left , Professor Adedayo Fasakin , Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic, Professor Adebiyi Daramola, Vice Chancellor , Professor Michael Adewumi, Guest Lecturer ,Professor Tolulope Akinbogun ,Deputy Vice Chancellor ,Development and Dr Modupe Ajayi , Registrar shortly after Professor Adewumi delivered the 2014 foundation Day Lecture of the Federal University of Technology ,Akure )
Cross fertilization of ideas across disciplines through joint publications and strong students mobility have been identified as ingredients of Partnership that can make a University attain great height and remain globally relevant.
Professor Michael Adebola Adewumi, Vice Provost, University Office of Global Programs, The Pennsylvania State University, United States of America stated this while delivering the 32nd edition of the Foundation Day Lecture of the Federal University of Technology, Akure on Thursday ,July24th 2014.
Adewumi, an alumnus of the University of Ibadan and Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago with background in Petroleum Engineering and Gas Engineering said “Although we hail from different institutions, located in different nations, our goals with regard to educating students, producing high quality scholarship and developing innovative partnerships to tackle the challenges of the 21st Century are the same”. He spoke on the topic Higher
Education Imperatives in the Global Century: The Challenge for Nigerian Universities. Emphasizing the need for students’ mobility, the don said countries with strong economies tend to send more students to study at institutions outside their own countries. These transnational students through knowledge gained from outside will affect their home countries with such knowledge. They will also contribute to the global knowledge community. He also said those who do not return to their home countries will act as a resource to their home country, linking them to the world beyond and fostering partnership between their countries and where they studied.
He commended the vision of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Adebiyi Daramola and the effort of FUTA in collaborating with world class institutions, especially the ongoing students’ exchange programme with the Florida America and Mechanical University (FAMU). Citing the Penn State University’s example, he said “Our international student population has more than doubled since 2,000. The vast majority still come from China, India and South Korea – these countries whose economies are growing. Like most large institutions of higher learning, Penn State has traditionally pursued international engagements by offering opportunities for our students to study abroad and we host international students and scholars by the thousands. However, we no longer think this two-sided approach will suffice in the 21st century. We are adding a third dimension called Strategic Partnership.
Speaking on joint publication, Professor Adewumi stressed the importance of international collaboration through joint authorship. He said “Another measure of success is the number of joint publications co-written by authors from different countries. As we welcome more international scholars to our Universities, we can expect more collaboration and therefore, even more joint publications”. According to him, two or more good authors will do better in research and development.
On seeking and leveraging on resources to address the challenge of funding a University the don advocated adoption of Penn State’s Global Engagement Network (GEN) whereby the University will partner institutions around the world as an effective vehicle for leveraging resources and jointly addressing challenge areas such as climate change, energy, poverty, global health and food storage. He enjoined FUTA as a specialized institution to take the lead in further solving some domestic problems facing the nation, especially energy, food and poverty.
Concluding, Professor Adewumi said a University aspiring world class status must focus on internationalization rather than on the globalization of its brand and proposed treating peer institutions as partners for progress instead of competitors.
He also saluted FUTA and its management for setting the pace in University administration. “Everything about your operation has impressed me. Since the inception of this interaction, I have noticed that FUTA is unique. You are well organized with good courtesy. FUTA can revive and renew the image of Nigeria abroad. You have proven that Nigeria can produce great leaders. My impression about your operation is that you have a great, united team. Please keep the flag flying and very soon you will become one of the top in the world” he stated.
In his address, the Vice-Chancellor,Professor Adebiyi Daramola said the aim of the Foundation Day Lecture series was to further expand the frontiers of knowledge and provide a veritable forum for staff, students and the public to engage with new ideas and knowledge in a way that will enhance teaching, learning, research and ultimately the quality of lives of Nigerians.
Daramola said education today is borderless and is better enriched through individual and institutional collaboration. According to him, Globalisation has impacted immensely on Universities business of teaching, research and services the world over. Nigerian Universities are also expected to tap into the phenomenon which has its benefits. “Each University is expected to raise the bar in all ramifications and to be highly rated in scholarship and excellence” he stated.
On FUTA’s effort Daramola said “On our part as a University that is poised for change, we have joined the train of globalization and partnership in education. Currently, some of our students are in the United States of America and the next batch will join in September under a 4-1-1 complementary and collaborative students exchange programme with the Florida Agriculture and Mechanical University (FAMU). Today’s lecture also marks the beginning of a new symbiotic relationship between FUTA and The Pennsylvania State University, US, thus increasing our vibrant and productive relationships with reputable institutions in the world”.